What to LOSE: Dreams without Action

A Series by Jill Holler – Part 1

Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. Ephesians 3:20 TLB

Dreams from the Mountaintop

I like to dream big for God.

In my mind, I like to imagine all of the extraordinary ways I might use my life to serve Jesus Christ and glorify Him.

I love to sit for hours and read God’s word, allowing it to transport me to a heavenly mountaintop with Jesus, where His presence is vivid and real, and I am astounded by the wonder of who He is and how much He loves me.

I feel His calling on my life, and I know it is real.

It rushes up within my soul, and in that moment, it is the most grounded, certain, unchanging thing I know. Nothing can shake me.

Yes, the presence of Jesus Christ brings a boldness to my spirit that lays flat every other competing thing. It sets me on fire to live for Jesus Christ alone.

In that heavenly moment, I want to pitch my tent right beside Jesus and simply cling to Him. I want to plead with Him to let me stay just a little longer.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ” Matthew 17:4

The Dreamer

For I fear when it is time to leave the mountain, my confidence will start to wane, and my doubts and insecurities will creep back in. And when I come down from that place, I am afraid I will be nothing but a simple dreamer.

A dreamer who…

Wants to be on the mountaintop, not treading the earthly road below.

Loves Jesus with all her heart, but questions the call He has on her life.

Dreams big, but does little.

With everything in me, I want to stay fierce and confident just like on the mountaintop. I don’t want to simply be a dreamer. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines.

But just as Peter, who fiercely loved Jesus, denied the very One he loved, I have a tendency to let the circumstances of this world take the fire right out of me. I end up living as if the mountaintop were not real, as if the extraordinary things I learned there couldn’t possibly be true in real life.

Indeed, the story could end here. Satan could claim his victory and move on to his next victim.

But I’m not going to let him win.

Stand Up and Fight

With every bit of strength God has given me, I will stand up and fight Satan off. I don’t want to give even an inch to the enemy of God.

The power of Jesus Christ lives in me, and He has already defeated Satan!

I may have to suit up in my armor and be prepared to fight off every voice of doubt and every scheme of the enemy. But I CAN live a life of victory that brings glory to God and triumph to His kingdom.

I will honor my Lord as I say “yes” to Him and “no” to every voice that tells me I am wrong. I will shut out the voices that tell me I’m not being reasonable, that I’m expecting too much, and God cannot use people like me.

Those are simply lies. What God has called me to do is founded on truth, and He will never lead me astray. I will tread the earth as Jesus did, and I will obey the voice of the One who has called me.

Jesus’ calling on my life is real. And it does not end on the mountaintop.

That is where it begins.

Act It Out…No Matter the Cost

“We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there, we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs.” –Oswald Chambers

We do not have to lose our dreams, but we must lose our inhibitions.

We must throw away every fear that tries to grip us and every excuse that makes a case for inaction, and instead surrender to Christ.

It is time to throw all our human-born notions and fears to the wind and let God take care of that.

It is time to act on His prompting and let the consequences fall as they may.

The Key to the Crucified life

This is the key to the crucified life: stepping out to follow Jesus when we don’t know where we are going–trusting the One who leads.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

No, God does not provide detailed blueprints or a how-to manual designed specifically for us.

He simply gives us Himself and asks us to believe He is enough.

He asks that we follow Him faithfully, letting go of our earthly need for security, and simply trust in the sound of His voice.

Indeed, if we have heard His voice, that is all we need to know.

We can bid farewell to the doubts and insecurities that have plagued our hearts and minds for years, knowing that the dreams God has stirred in us are real…and His power is bigger than our fears.

Therefore, we do not need to worry about how the plan will all work out because we can trust in the One who called us. And each time we step out in obedience, our courage will grow.

Step by step, the evidence of God’s hand upon our lives will fortify us. It will enable us to act out the very things that were once just a vision.

Beyond Fear and Foolishness

Following Jesus into the unknown can seem radical and illogical from a worldly point of view. It can cause others to ridicule us for actions that appear quite foolish.

However, what appears as “foolishness” in the eyes of the world is actually the power of God working on this earth.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

It is salvation and glory and every good thing. And I want to be a part of that.

We may not know where He will lead us. And it may not seem to make sense. But in His great wisdom, He asks us to step out in faith and let Him take care of the rest.

It’s Time to Act

It’s time to…

Rise up from the sidelines and run the race God has called us to, trusting that He knows best.

Step out in faith and dare to believe that God can do amazing things through people like us.

Live unafraid and unashamed, giving Jesus Christ everything we have and never looking back.

“If you are in love, you do not sit down and dream about the one you love all the time, you go and do something for him; and this is what Jesus Christ expects us to do.” Oswald Chambers

If we follow God’s voice, we will never live with regret. Instead, we will know we have given Christ our all…and He is absolutely worth it.

It is time to let go of everything that holds us back from doing what God asks. And it is time to ACT. Let’s get up off the sidelines and step out onto the field, trusting that every result will be born of God.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28